Selected quad for the lemma: power_n
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A23606
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Precious promises the portion of overcomers. / By John Lougher, minister of the Gospel.
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Lougher, John, d. 1686.
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1681
(1681)
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Wing L3093B; ESTC R217742
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97,531
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281
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Christ saith I will ransome them from the power of the Grave I will redeem them from Death Hos 13.14 It cannot deliver them over to wrath or carry a good man in Chains to the Prison of Hell This is to be killed with Death A Believer may say O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory Thanks be to God who giveth us the Victory through Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15.56 57. Once past the first Death you are for ever free from all fear of Death This Life is on this account miserable that it is in fear of Death hanging over it every moment What is your Life saith St. James it is a Vapour that now is and quickly vanishes away Jam. 4.13 14. But after this no more fear of Death to a true Christian And to make the Joy of such full there is a Meiosis in this Text when it is said they shall not be hurt of the second Death it implies that they shall be called to a blessed and immortal Life Not only not ashamed but have boldness and confidence before Christ at his coming not only sorrow and sighing will flee away but everlasting Joy shall be upon their heads not only free from the Curse but shall hear a Come ye blessed not only no Despair but no doubting yea a perpetual Plerophory and full Assurance of their happy state not only no Worm of an accusing Conscience but the testimony of an absolving Conscience which will be a continual Feast not only no Torments of Hell but the Pleasures of Heaven not only no Canaanites in that Land no Devil no wicked men but the Society of holy Angels and Saints and God's glorious Presence to all Eternity Why should not all sincere Believers comfort themselves and one another with these things and that in the worst of times A Martyr being offered Life if he would renounce the Truth answered Can you give me Eternal Life And being threatned with Death for refusal he said You cannot bring me under the second Death you cannot put me to Eternal Death You can kill my Body but that 's all you can do I must fear to offend him that can destroy Body and Soul in Hell Better it is saies he that I have a little Wormwood in my Mouth a while than to have my Bowels filled with it for ever Oh! how would the Improvement of this Text and Truth support and comfort a Christian in the saddest conditions he may be called to pass through in this world Vse 2. Is it thus that Overcomers shall not be hurt of the second Death Then let us all make out for true Faith in Jesus Christ for this is the Victory whereby we overcome the World and all that is in the World even our Faith 1 John 5.4 This is the first Resurrection which whosoever hath a part in is blessed If you ask wherein are such blessed The Text tells you Rev. 20.6 On such the second death hath no power Some understand this of Romish Idolatries and Superstitions for it is said If any man worship the Beast and his Image and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb And they have no rest night nor day who worship the Beast and his Image and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name which implies say they that those who live and dye under the dominion of those Antichristian abominations in Doctrine Worship and Practice and rise not by true Faith in Christ and Repentance towards God will fall under the power of the second death 'T is said every living soul died in the Sea for it became as the Blood of a dead man when the Vial was poured out upon it Revel 16.3 Whence some have concluded that those under the Romish Jurisdiction who live and dye under the full Dominion and Practice of their Idolatrous wicked Doctrines and Worship cannot be saved But others take this first Resurrection to be meant of a Spiritual quickning to a Divine Life the Dead hear the Voice of the Son of God in the Gospel and live this is when Faith is first wrought which is the beginning of the Soul's life and strength the first born of graces the bond of Union between Christ and Believers and so brings all the strength and Grace of Christ into their hearts for Christ and all his Fulness dwelleth there by Faith and by that is derived to the Soul to enable it to overcome all its Enemies Where this is not wrought Sin and Satan do conquer and utterly destroy the Soul If ye believe not that I am he ye shall dye in your sins saies Christ to the Jews Joh. 8.21 24. Should any one come and tell us You shall die in a Ditch or in a Goal it would sound harshly in our ears but for Christ to say Ye shall dye in your sins is yet more dreadful For a man may die in a Ditch or in a Prison and yet go to Heaven but if any one die under the full power of Sin and Satan a dead Dog is better than he it had been good for that man he had never been born for he drops presently into Hell and the Second Death hath an irrecoverable Power over him he can never get from under it because all his Sins will be laid upon him If a Debtor be Arrested and cast into Prison no sooner do his Creditors understand it but they come and bring in their several Actions that a man must lye there all his days Thus if the first Death Arrest us and we under the full Dominion of sin Satan comes in Conscience comes in the Law comes in yea God himself comes in all come in and lay Action upon Action against us and there we must lye till the last Mite be paid which because we can never do we must lye there to all Eternity We live in very dying Times and none can tell how soon the thred of his Life may be cut If we look not diligently to it we shall dye in our sins and so be undone for ever O let us look and get true Faith for it is he that believes that overcomes and he that overcomes shall not be hurt of the Second Death SERMON III. REV. II. 17. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden Manna and will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it WE have here another of those excellent Promises made to Overcomers It is the concluding words of that Epistle to the Church in Pergamos as in the 12th Verse is evident Some say this was a great City distant from Jerusalem Two hundred and twenty eight miles very populous but very wicked Hence we